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Manchester United have climbed two places in the latest Football Money League from Deloitte which has ranked the 20 biggest clubs in the world based on information for the 2006/7 season. Real Madrid remains the world's largest revenue generating club, completing a hat-trick of first place finishes. Manchester United is joined in the top five by Chelsea and Arsenal. Chelsea has climbed two places to fourth whilst Arsenal is the biggest climber in the 2007 Money League, rising four places to fifth this year. Barcelona has dropped from second place to third. Dan Jones, a partner at Deloitte's Sport Business Group, commented: 'This is the first time any country has had three clubs in the top five of the Money League. Arsenal's move to the Emirates Stadium has transformed their revenues'.
Real Madrid and Manchester United became the first football clubs to generate more than €300m in a season. Real enjoyed an impressive 20% increased to take their total revenue to €351m (£236m) whilst Manchester United's revemue grew even more quickly to reach €315m (£212m). Jones added: 'With the new Premier League television deals for the 2007/8 season, Manchester United have the opportunity to significantly close the gap on Real and a successful Champions League run may even see them challenge again for the number one position.' Whilst the number of English clubs in this season's top twenty declined from eight to six with the departure of West Ham and Manchester City, Deloitte's Paul Rawnsley commented that they along with Villa and Everton are just outside the top 20 'and with the revenue uplift from the new broadcast deals now benefiting the clubs, we expect to see the bottom half of next year's Money League dominated by English teams.'
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